Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An imaging system oriented about at least a vertical Y-axis and a horizontal X-axis for imaging a plurality of macropixels onto a light sensitive media, comprising: a light source for generating a light beam; a projection lens assembly for focusing said light beam; a deflector configured for receiving said focused light beam and deflecting said focused light beam in a vertical (Y-axis) direction; a two dimensional spatial light modulator (SI M) comprising a plurality of linear arrays of a plurality of macropixels, each of said adapted for holding data, said spatial light modulator configured for sequentially activating at least one macropixel of at least one of said linear arrays; an imaging lens assembly in communication with said spatial light modulator; said spatial light modulator, said deflector and imaging lens assembly configured for focusing a light beam to be deflected to positionally correspond to said at least one sequentially activated macropixel for its illumination by said light beam and imaging of said data of each of said sequentially Illuminated macropixels at different locations onto said light sensitive media.
2. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein each said macropixel of said spatial light modulator comprises an array of individually addressable micropixels, said micropixels able to be turned on or off so as to achieve a desired intensity pattern across said linear array of macropixels.
3. The imaging system according to claim 2, wherein said desired pattern achieves uniform illumination across said linear array of macropixels.
4. The imaging system according to claim 2, wherein said desired pattern provides a capability of adjusting a gray scale profile.
5. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a digital mirror system.
6. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a deformable mirror device.
7. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a membrane mirror light modulator device.
8. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a liquid crystal device.
9. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a ferroelectric liquid crystal device.
10. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a mechanical active/anti-reflective device.
11. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said anamorphic lens assembly comprises a cylindrical lens.
12. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said deflector comprises an acousto-optic device.
13. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said deflector comprises a rotating polygon.
14. The imaging system of claim 1, additionally comprising, an anamorphic lens assembly for receiving said focused light beam from said deflector and projecting it onto said spatial light modulator.
15. An imaging system oriented about at least a vertical Y-axis and a horizontal X-axis for imaging a plurality of macropixels onto a light sensitive media, comprising: a deflector configured for receiving a light beam and deflecting said light beam in a vertical (Y-axis) direction; a spatial light modulator (SLM) with a plurality of arrays of a plurality of macropixels adapted for holding data, said SLM configured for activating each of said macropixels of at least one array in a sequential order during at least a portion of the time at least one macropixel of another array is being loaded with new data, and said spatial light modulator in communication with said deflector such that the light beam is detlected to positionally correspond to said sequentially activated macropixels for their illumination by said light beam, to write successive lines of information at different locations on said light sensitive media.
16. The imaging system according to claim 15, wherein each said macropixel of said SLM comprises an array of individually addressable micropixels, said micropixels able to be turned on or off so as to achieve a desired intensity pattern across said array of macropixels.
17. The imaging system according to claim 16, wherein said desired pattern achieves uniform illumination across said array of macropixels.
18. The imaging system according to claim 16, wherein said desired pattern provides a capability of adjusting a gray scale profile.
19. The imaging system according to claim 15, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a digital mirror system.
20. The imaging system according to claim 15, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a deformable mirror device.
21. The imaging system according to claim 15, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a membrane mirror light modulator device.
22. The imaging system according to claim 15, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a liquid crystal device.
23. The imaging system according to claim 15, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a ferroelectric liquid crystal device.
24. The imaging system according to claim 15, wherein said spatial light modulator comprises a mechanical active/anti-reflective device.
25. A method for imaging a plurality of micropixels onto a light sensitive media utilizing a spatial light modulator (SLM) with arrays of at least one macropixel configured for storing data, said method comprising the steps of: sequentially activating at least two macropixels during a least a portion of the time of loading data to at least one other macropixel of another array; and deflecting at least one light beam to positionally correspond to each of said sequentially activated macropixels to write successive lines of information, each of said successive lines of information having each successive macropixel written at different locations on said light sensitive media.
26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said step of imaging comprises imaging each said macropixel of said SLM as an array of individually addressable micropixels, said micropixels able to be turned on or off so as to achieve a desired intensity pattern across said array of macropixels.
27. The method according to claim 26, wherein said desired pattern achieves uniform illumination across said array of macropixels.
28. The method according to claim 26, wherein said desired pattern provides a capability of adjusting a gray scale profile.
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Unknown
March 27, 2001
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